An exclusive interview of former Union Minister for Home and Finance P Chidambaram with NDTV became a topic of discussion when the latter decided to drop its airing. The interview was scheduled with Barkha Dutt and when viewers switched on to the channel, a message as shown in the image below was broadcasted.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Chidambaram said that Barkha Dutt, consulting editor of NDTV said that the interview was scrapped “despite her wish.” Chidambaram said that to release evidence of the strike is a decision for the Government to take and whatever decision it takes, the Congress would support it.
Chidambaram in conversation with The Indian Express said that only two subjects were discussed in the NDTV interview- whether the demand for an evidence regarding the surgical strikes was justified and whether the Congress party supported the Army action across the border.
“I have demanded that NDTV should release the tape to me so that I can put it on YouTube. However, they have not responded to my demand,” said Chidambaram.
He further said that the interview was no longer than 15 minutes.
“My stand is quite clear. I said, we support the government. We believe the Army and the DGMO.”
The former Finance Minister further said that when it comes to the “evidence” seeking part of the surgical strikes, he believed it was not “questioning the Army.” It is a suggestion so that India can call Pakistan a bluff and consequently prove it to The New York Times, Washington Post and United Nations Observers Group.
“Therefore, to call Pakistan’s bluff, it is for the government to consider whether it would like to release any evidence. But I made it clear that’s a decision for the government to take,” said Chidambaram.
Talking about the strikes launched during UPA’s regime, Chidambaram said, “the policy of the government of that day was strategic restraint and as part of strategic restraint we left such cross-border action to be handled by the Army at the operational, tactical level. I believe UPA’s policy was right. But I am not saying that the present government cannot change that policy.”
NDTV’s co-founder Radhika Roy told The Wire, which first reported the dropping of the interview, that “political mud-slinging regarding the surgical strikes without a shred of evidence was actually damaging to our national security.” She said that NDTV was not “obliged to carry every shred of drivel that has now come to pass as public discourse” and that part of the channel’s editorial policy was to not “provide a platform to outrageous and wild accusations that thrive only on publicity.”
On the aforementioned, Chidambaram said that he questioned NDTV as to in which category did his interview fall- did it contain remarks that risked security for political advantage or which part of the interview was “a shred of drivel”?
He added that he hasn’t received any answers to his questions as yet.